A Valentine’s Gift to China’s Gay Couples: Marriage in the U.S., Courtesy of Taobao

Valentine’s Day came early for Chinese gay couple Zhou Yanghai and Lin Tao, both 33.

The two men were among a group of 10 same-sex pairs who won an all-expenses paid gay wedding ceremony and honeymoon in California this summer, courtesy of Taobao, the online-shopping site run by Chinese Internet giant Alibaba Group.

“We’re so excited about this,” Mr. Zhou told China Real Time Wednesday. “This is the best Valentine’s gift for us,” added Mr. Zhou, who lives in Shanghai.

Same-sex marriage is not allowed in China and open discussion of homosexuality is relatively rare, forcing many gay men and women to remain firmly in the closet.

That could be slowly changing. A recent survey on attitudes to gay people by market research firm YouGov suggest that close to 60% of Chinese people agree to some extent with the idea that homosexuality should be accepted by society.

Mr. Zhou and other contestants say competitions like this one help increase awareness. “It’s a very good chance to expose the public to LGBT issues,” he said, using an acronym that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender.

In a statement, a Taobao spokeswoman said it was the first time the company had conducted such an activity and that it was designed in the hope of “fostering respect and understanding of homosexuality.”

Darick Qin (R) and Charlene Liu (L) said they might wed in Hawaii.

Darick Qin

To win a spot on the gay wedding-themed U.S. trip, contestants were asked to submit a video of their answers to a short list of questions including how long the couple had been together, their favorite memory about their partners and challenges they faced. The public was asked to vote online for their favorite among a shortlisted group of 20 couples, with the 10 most popular winning the prize.

Tanning salon manager Darick Qin, 31, and her Malaysian girlfriend Charlene Liu, 42, didn’t make the final cut—they ranked number 11—but said they were still very happy to have taken part. “Whatever happens we’re still planning to get married,” said Ms. Liu, an engineer based in Shanghai.

The couple is eyeing Hawaii for their nuptials. “We both like the beach,” she added.

Like in other countries, more companies in China are looking for ways to tap the spending power of the LGBT community. To coincide with this competition, for example, Taobao began selling gay marriage tours to some of the most popular destinations that permit same-sex unions, including Canada, New Zealand and the Netherlands.

“I see it as a first step. If business people take notice then so too will other people. Possibly then a change will come,” she said.

Ms. Liu said once thought she would never wed, but her attitude changed when she met the Jiangsu province native Darick. In their video submission, Ms. Liu recalls a walk along Shanghai’s Bund before dawn in which she and Darick spotted a kite flying in the sky. “A relationship is like flying a kite,” Darick told her. “If it flies too far away it’s easy to lose. If you pull on the string too fast, the string can snap. And if you don’t pull it fast enough, the kite might fall.”